Men’s health checklist

Even if you feel healthy, regular health checks (such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels, prostate checks) are essential to catch any problems early and stay in good health. Your mental health is just as important, and seeking help for mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, can be critical.

2. Reduce alcohol use

The harmful use of alcohol killed nearly 3 million people in 2016; 75% of whom were men. Drinking too much, or too often, increases your immediate risk of injury, road crashes and violence, as well as causing longer-term effects like liver damage, cancer and heart disease. Harmful use of alcohol can also affect your mental health and has a negative impact on your family and the people around you.

3. Quit smoking

Tobacco use causes cancer, lung disease, heart disease and stroke, killing more than 7 million people every year. It also causes impotence. Quitting smoking is one of the best actions you can take for your health – within 12 weeks, your lung function increases, within a year your risk of heart disease is already half that of a smoker’s.

4. Eat better

Eating a healthy diet helps prevent diabetes and many other diseases. Try to eat more fruit, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils), nuts and whole grains. Limit the amount of salt to 1 teaspoon per day, sugar to less than 5% of total energy intake and saturated fats to less than 10% of your energy intake.

5. Be more active

1 in 4 people aren’t active enough. Adults should do at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. Physical activity helps you maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer and can help beat depression too.